Joint Yankee Plan Gets Boost Sanford, County Agree To Work Together On Sewage Plant

February 7, 1986|By Terry Osinski of The Sentinel Staff

SANFORD — City and county representatives agreed Thursday to work together on the construction of a regional sewer plant on the Yankee Lake site in the hopes of salvaging $8.3 million worth of grants promised to the city.

In return, the county would take as much as it can of the treated wastewater from the city's Lake Monroe plant for disposal at Yankee Lake. Engineering studies on the land's ability to absorb the treated water are to be done March 1.

In the city's favor, the state Department of Environmental Regulation extended Sanford's March deadline of filing construction plans before giving the grant money to one of the 99 other municipalities who competed for the money.

Sanford has been ordered to stop dumping effluent in Lake Monroe by March 1989 or face a federal fine of $10,000 a day. To reach that deadline, the city had proposed construction of a sprayfield on the Yankee Lake site to begin in March. The city's plans collapsed when Seminole County purchased the 2,800- acre Yankee Lake tract in November.

Richard Smith, chief of grants for DER, said the two governments could cooperate on a joint sewage venture and use the grant money for design and construction if Sanford can fulfill its promise to stop dumping into Lake Monroe. He said he could give the city a few months leeway on its design deadline.

While representatives from both sides said they were optimistic that the governments could work together, the agreement depends on the land's capacity for disposal.

Frank Faison, Sanford City Manager, said the city needs 7.3 million gallons per day capacity to comply with the DER order. When the city began negotiating for the Yankee Lake site, their engineers said the tract had an 8 million gallon capacity.

The county's master plan for a regional site includes capacity for Lake Mary, Sanford and the unincorporated area of the county. Jim Bible, the county's director of environmental services, said the county needs 9 million gallons of capacity. Ultimately, he said, the land could dispose of up to 20 million gallons by pumping the treated water to wetlands and golf courses. The actual amount the land can handle will be determined by the engineering reports due March 1, he said.

''We had some pretty good studies of our own,'' said Mayor Bettye Smith. ''I'm not optimistic the capacity is that high.''

As an option, Smith asked the county to consider allowing the city to use the land to meet its immediate needs for disposal during the first phase of the regional plant's operation while Sanford plans for additional disposal sites, such as the Sanford Airport.

County staff will meet with DER representatives Feb. 20 to go over the preliminary data. After the engineering reports are in, the two governments and DER will meet March 14 to discuss the options.